Planner collection update

I'm lucky enough to have found the elusive Planner Peace - not just in one planner but in the sizes that I prefer over everything else.  

For my everyday carry I have the most amazing Guildford Extra Slim Mini and this cute little guy actually fits in the mobile phone pocket of my bag! Not only is that totally awesome in itself but it allows me the freedom to now use the smaller handbags that I love but were just too small to use because of the size of planner I was using. I didn't realise how restrictive the planners I was using were, causing me to need bigger handbags just to carry them!

I love my mini for this very reason.  It gives me the opportunity to fall in love with my higher end but smaller bags that were just being left on the shelf.  My shoulder and back are also thanking me for this!

I also love my VDS Touch Me's in senior size. These are slightly bigger than pocket but smaller than personal and are equivalent to the Mulberry A6 size (I am SO glad I am not a lover of Mulberry!). This size is very easy to work with, it is a great size for those who like to add little things into their planners like photographs or postcards.

My other love is A5 but these are strictly stay at home planners. My absolute favourite is my VDS Manager with humongous 35mm rings and this beast I certainly do not want to have to carry around as it weighs a ton and holds a ton!

I am feeling quite a relief from this realisation and as such  my others are up on eBay! It seems a shame to have beautiful planners just sat on the shelf when I know I am never going back to using them. 

Up to now I have listed my A5 Domino Bronze Snake, my Kate Spade Wellesley, a personal vintage Portland, a compact Saffiano, slimline Regency and a hand painted pocket Finsbury - all of these will be on my blog somewhere if you want to see what they are like. My eldest son has stolen my A5 Aston for university. 

I am keeping the personal Ruby Deco and have just got a pocket one too (actually it is the return of the pocket one I had earlier and swapped for the personal size!). I love the look of these planners, they are truly decadent and just classy :) 

I am also keeping my A5 Cuban Zip which is another truly beautiful planner, this is being turned into our Home Planner (when I get round to it!) and I love that it has the zip to keep everything very secure. I haven't used this yet as it was just too nice and I felt like it needed a proper purpose rather than just used for the sake of it. 

Obviously my VDS Manager is also staying with me and this is my 'Me' planner that holds all my hopes, dreams and goals. It is essentially my brain dump and hasn't really been set up as anything specific yet as I couldn't think on one particular thing to put in it and as it is just so huge everything has ended up in there all higgedly piggedly and without order...this will be getting sorted out at the same time as the Home Planner!  This will take some thought as it holds hundreds and hundreds of pages!! 

I also have two VDS seniors, a brown one and a black one and a VDS junior in brown. These will also stay :)

So my entire collection will consist of:

• VDS A5 Manager
• A5 Cuban Zip
• Personal Deco
• Pocket Deco
• VDS Senior in brown
• VDS Senior in black
• VDS Junior in brown
• Guildford Extra Slim Mini

This isn't too bad is it?

Until next time, take care xxx

Loving the Guildford Extra Slim Mini

It has been three days and I am totally smitten with this little guy!  I am finding that it is in my hand more than it is left in my bag and as such I am using it!!  That is a result in itself :)

I love that he holds everything that I need, I love that he is used more than any other I have tried - even my beloved VDS Senior (which I never thought possible!).  

I am not sure what it is about it that I love so much - the smaller rings? the softest leather? no fastener? no pen loop? I have no idea!!

Lots of stuff to remember!

Highlighted with stickers, tabs and my favourite neon arrows!

Full running list of to-do's

My time specific To-Do's are put onto the day that they are needed - such as 'Pick up Order' on the 17th and 18th.  Anything that is just a general To-Do goes onto this running list - such as 'Home insurance' or 'Get Sasha's nails clipped' - once these are done they are just checked off.  Once the whole page is checked off (and it's on both sides) then the page will be thrown away.

Extra page flags and sparkly glitter!

Laminated note from my youngest from 2006 and my coffee loyalty card

These little card holders are fab!  I paid 99p for a felt card holder and cut it up and punched it.  They fit wonderfully and are very lightweight so add no bulk at all.  I have got four of them in here and they are double sided.  Brilliant!

I am very happy with this set up, I love the little planner and I love feeling the planner peace again!

Until next time, take care xxx

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Slimming and simplifying everything

This has been a bit of a strange few weeks with changes happening all over the place, some good and some not so good but I'm still here and it has made me realise a few things.

Firstly, life does not need to be complicated.  It is ourselves that make it so and if that is the case then it is also ourselves that can make it simple.  I want simple.  I need simple.

Secondly, we cannot control everything.  For those things we cannot control there is absolutely no point in stressing over.  It needs to just have a line drawn under it and move on.

Thirdly, I cannot believe it has taken me this long to figure it out!!

Things have got to change and my first big change is my planner - it is a tool not an accessory, it should not be causing me stress it should be simply telling me when I have something planned, or the time to book in something else!  When did I get so overwhelmed and dictated to by a diary???

I have slimmed it all down, and now I am in this cutie! It is a Guildford Extra Slim Mini - probably the smallest you can get and I have got pretty much everything in that I had in my others - I have a full year of a week on two page diary, photo's, quotes, to do lists and address page. Extra credit card holders, stickers and a few other bits.  Isn't he cute?!

Smaller than my pen!

Favourite photo of me and Hubby

Week on two pages

Motivational quote

To do list

Spare card holders and back pocket

So in pursuit of a simple life I am embarking on a new adventure - the 'Adventure of Simple' - this will entail a few important things:

1.  Healthy living

2.  Quality times

3.  Mindfullness

Healthy living - I have just signed up to do a Diploma in Personal Nutrition.  I feel that I will benefit from actually finding out for myself what is the good, the bad and the ugly instead of taking other people, magazines and facebook as gospel!  I am also hoping that this will give me an insight into maybe the possibility of a career change as I am getting a bit bored of this one...or at least something else to think about while I am just getting on with my day-job.

I am also going to book in a session with a Personal Trainer, and I have found one that I really like at my local gym that I am a member of.  She seems to have the positive energy that I think will help me to stay motivated.  I am not sure whether it will be something I can continue with (the PT sessions) as they are quite costly on top of the gym membership but I'll see how that goes.

I have also started doing the GT30 classes, these are intensive 30 minute interval training sessions that promise great things...I will see how they go but after just the first one last Wednesday I am certainly still feeling the effects today!!  

Quality times - this is time that I want to spend with my husband and we are planning a number of events/excursions out on our motorbikes now that they are back on the road :)  I am looking forward to spending a few lazy sunshiny days at the beach or up a mountain or even just overlooking some Welsh valleys...I've finally got round to sorting out the panniers that I got for Christmas two years ago!!  They have now been altered and are on my bike awaiting the start of adventures!!

Mindfulness - I need to get on with my Diploma in CBT and also take some time out to relax and reflect on stuff.  I didn't really know what else to call this bit but it is all to do with stopping the world for a bit just to catch my breath...maybe do a few yoga classes - actually I've signed up to try out Pilates, not sure if that's the same kind of thing, but I'm open to new experiences!

I will update as soon as I have something to update but this is most definitely the start of a new phase in my life and I want to make the most of every minute!

Until next time, take care xxx

The KonMari Method of Tidying

There is something to be said for clearing out the clutter, it has such a wonderful effect on your mind and spirit.  It seems to cleanse everything, well it does for me anyway!  

I have started on a journey using the book - The Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo, known affectionately to her followers as the Konmari Method - or even KM - and it is a most wonderful experience.  I have only just started but I can already feel the effects, the calmness that is spreading over my homelife is giving me the inspiration to use this in all areas of my life to enhance it, to nuture it, to simplify its existence...I know, it sounds too good to be true and it may not be for everyone but it is for me and I love it!

It involves getting rid of everything that does not spark joy.  It is actually that simple.

Yes, that little statement pretty much sums it up in a nutshell and is now my mantra.  

There is a method to follow, it starts with clothing as this aspect is meant to be the easiest to do as far as guilt trips are concerned, you know being able to throw away that hideous jumper your Aunt knitted for you just before she died, or the wedding gift from the aged relative, or the present from a friend for your birthday...all these things, these burdens, weigh heavily on emotions and space - get rid of them!  If they do not spark joy then they have no use to you in your life or your home, say thank you and bid it farewell.

I started on my clothing...

From this

To this

And my drawers went from this

To this

And the result:

Not only that but my bedside drawers have also been done and following drawer envy from my husband, his have also now been done!

I have enlisted the help of my friend to go through my handbags and shoes...this is not something i am looking forward to!!  

What I have noticed in going through this process is that everything is being looked at differently, each area of my home I come across is getting a mini treatment which isn't what is recommended but I cant help it!!  It is not the turn of the kitchen yet but every time I go in there I am seeing something else and throwing it away or rehousing it to a more appropriate place!

It's extremely therapeutic and I am finding the whole process to be refreshing, even my Hubby is noticing the difference in the house and he is loving it - let's see if that's still the case when I send him into the garage to do that!  Lol.

Until next time, take care xxx

VDS Planners have stolen my heart!

After realising that I could make the pocket Finsbury work in theory, it was a little harder to put into practice. It really was a deal breaker not being able to put my favourite pen in the loop and also even if it would have fit the loop it would have made using the zip pocket difficult. As I was using this as my wallet too this was not good.

I also missed the softness and flexibility of the Chameleon.

After mulling it all over during a couple of days it came to me.  I needed to go back to VDS. I looked into having a custom design one but at the moment I just could not justify the cost, even though I honestly think they are worth every penny, I am just being to indecisive at the moment.  Once I have made up my mind for definite I may go down that route...I have already picked my colours!

Fortunately my best friend was selling her junior Touch Me in brown. It is now mine :) and I really do love it, I WILL make the smaller rings work for me as I am really loving being able to use my smaller bags. Win win. 

So here he is, in all his usual glory including my polar bear!

Beautiful leather

I'd be lost without this dashboard!

A card cut down to fit marks the contacts section

Annual leave days

Zip pocket for train tickets and card holder

A braindump notebook and my bank cards

Polar bear, paw print and piggy bank charms are all Fossil

I LOVE VDS planners, I have heard they are bringing out another colour for the Touch Me range, I think purple.  I will have to get one of these!  I would have LOVED a red one...maybe next time!

I feel as though with my three sizes of VDS I am done. I really don't fancy the standard size at all.  I have reached my planner heaven and I can't see me wanting or needing anything else.  I have totally lost the love for Filofax and other than the few I have left I will not be purchasing any more. I may even get rid of some more although the ones I do have are pretty rare ones - a personal Ruby Deco, an A5 Domino Bronze Snake and an A5 Cuban Zip. I think my A5 Aston is going to be stolen by my eldest son for his second year at university. I don't mind at all, I am proud that he uses the old one I gave home when he started!

My Kate Spade Wellesley in Garnet I will also not get rid of.   The rest can go. 

I could put the money towards a new VDS handbag - and I already know which one!!

Until next time, take care xxx